Chocolate and Peanut Butter Puddin' Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a wonderful family treat. We don't have it often because it is so rich and calorie laden, but my gang really enjoys it when I make it for them. I originally found the recipe for the pie in Saveur magazine. While I've made changes to it over time, the base recipe is still theirs. I no longer use the pie crust that was part of the original recipe because I found it to be tough. This sometimes happens   with an all-butter crust. Butter crusts tend to be crisper and less tender than ones made with a mixture of butter and shortening. Shortening is 100% fat, while butter consists of  20% water and 80% fat. The higher amount of fat in shortening results in a more tender crust because fat tenderizes by coating flour particles so that gluten can't form, and by trapping air between flour molecules to give the crust a layering or flakey effect. This really is not a difficult dessert to make, especially if you use  a commercially prepared crust as a starter. This dessert is so rich that you'll never miss the  butter crust.The filling is a peanut butter mousse that is topped with a chocolate pudding. It's probably best that we not speak of the whipped cream topping as it  could cost me my reputation for nutritional awareness. Obviously, the cream could be replaced with a whipped topping, but if you're going to make something so awfully wonderful it doesn't pay to stint. Have a small piece less often and enjoy it. If you love the chocolate and peanut butter you will really enjoy this pie. Here is how it is made. 

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Puddin' Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
Crust
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Topping
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:
1) Mix flour, salt and sugar in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue pulsing until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse corn meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about 4 more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of a rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if dough will not come together. Shape dough into ball with your hands, then flatten into a 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour before rolling.
2) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll dough 1/8-inch thick on a floured surface. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, trim edges, prick with a fork. Cover with parchment; fill with dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove paper and beans and bake until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool.
3) To make topping: Whisk together cream, sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to stiff peaks. Set aside.
4) Place peanut butter and chocolate in separate bowls. In a 4-quart saucepan, whisk together 1/2 teaspoon salt, brown sugar, cornstarch, yolks, and milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking until custard thickens, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Mixture will be lumpy. Strain through a sieve, and divide custard evenly between peanut butter and chocolate, whisking each mixture until smooth. Fold half of whipped cream into peanut butter, then spread evenly in pie crust and chill for 20 minutes. Spread chocolate over top and chill until set, at least 45 minutes. Spread remaining whipped cream over pie. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

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